J. W. Nolan

Advanced Nano Technologies Ltd.

One of the most challenging problems that are still open in the field of materials science is the 3D reconstruction of porous media using information from a single 2D thin image of the original material. Such a reconstruction is only feasible subject to some important assumptions that need to be made as far as the statistical properties of the mate...

Purpose To evaluate urinary stones using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and nitrogen porosimetry (NP). Traditionally, stones are categorized as hard or soft based on their chemical composition. We hypothesized that stone hardness is associated not only with its chemical composition but also with its internal architecture. SAXS and NP are well-...

This work aims the study of two types of activated carbons, produced with hydrothermal treatment (BAC-H samples) and pyrolysis (BAC-P samples) using from banana peels as source. The activation was done with H3PO4 (at three different temperatures 400, 500, 600 °C) in order to examine the effect of this time differentiation. The samples prepared a br...

With the evolution of the field of nanomaterials in the past number of years, it has become apparent that it will be key to future technological de- velopments. However, while there are unlimited re- search undertakings on nanomaterials, limited research results on nanomaterial costs exist; all in spite of the generous funding that nanotechnology p...

Background: Kidney stone analysis techniques are well established in the field of materials characterization and provide information for the chemical composition and structure of a sample. Nanomedicine, on the other hand, is a field with an increasing rate of scientific research, a big budget and increasingly developing market. The key scientific...

It is well known that polyethylene (PE) and cross- linked polyethylene (XLPE) are suitable insulating materials for underground cables. Samples of PE and of XLPE with MgO nanoparticles were investigated regarding their flashover behaviour with a uniform electric field and water droplets of various conductivities. In the present paper, the effect of...

The statistical analysis of patents in specific areas can be an important tool for the evaluation of trends and advancements in specific research fields. Patenting is generally considered to be steered by commercial needs; hence it primarily concentrates on research results that are expected to have an important economic value. Patent data can be u...

Background: Nanotechnology has been in the limelight since its emergence and its products affect everyday lives. Nanomaterials are characterized by features such as size and shape, thus rendering their possible number essentially unlimited, which in turn makes them difficult to study and categorize regarding possible dangers. This work suggests th...

Porous materials are important in gas separations and catalysis. Processes involving the use of porous materials have significant potential for replacement of traditional and expensive industrial processes. This publication details the development of a comprehensive database for organising information related to porous materials. The data includes...

The challenging process of 3D porous media reconstruction from a single 2D image is investigated in this paper. The reconstruction of the 3D model is based on the statistical information derived from a 2D thin image of the material, by applying a spatial correlation function. For the first time, this paper reviews the commonly used auto-correlation...

The work reported involves a detailed characterization study on a series of nanocomposite systems comprising layered double hydroxides and TiO2 seeds with anatase crystal structure. The TiO2/LDH nanocomposite structural and textural features were varied by the isomorphous substitution within the LDH sheets network of the divalent cations (Zn2+ by C...

Fabrication, morphology evaluation, and permeance/selectivity properties of three asymmetric BTDA‐TDI/MDI copolyimide hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) are reported. The asymmetric HFMs were spun using the dry/wet phase inversion process. The effect of one of the major spinning parameters, the air gap, on the permeance/selectivity properties of the pro...

A SAXS/WAXS apparatus with the aid of a specially designed sample cell capable for performing both SAXS and WAXS experiments was used for adsorption studies in nanoporous materials. The applicability of the instrument for structural investigations and its ability for adsorption experiments because of the advanced sample environment were demonstrate...

A novel method has been developed to reveal the possible existence of pore structure defects on the thin and ultra-thin separating layers of composite inorganic membranes. In this work the method is applied to sol–gel and CVD treated microporous membranes and involves a modified mercury porosimetry technique in which the only surface exposed for me...

The preparation of carbon hollow fibers by an asymmetric precursor is reported. The effect of the pyrolysis environment on the structure and properties of the produced membranes, both on inert (N2) and reactive (CO2 and H2O) conditions, have been examined by a carbonization process up to 900°C. The surface structure and morphological characteristic...

Two types of composite nanofiltration (NF) membranes were examined for their ultra thin separation layer integrity by initially applying gas permeability measurements. The examined materials were sol–gel derived γ-alumina and silica membranes, supported on macroporous α-alumina tubes. Relative permeability measurements of the system He/H2O indicate...

Alginate with a high M/G ratio, extracted from Laminaria digitata, was evaluated for Cu(2+), Cd(2+) and Pb(2+) sorption in acidic solutions, in the form of calcium cross-linked beads. The high M/G ratio of alginate extracted from this algal species is most likely the determining factor for the increased adsorption capacity of the investigated metal...

The adsorption of the endohedral fullerene, La@C82, and the higher fullerene, C84, on Si(100)-2×1 is investigated using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) operating in ultrahigh vacuum. Both molecules are found to adsorb directly above the dimer rows that are formed on the Si(100)-2×1 surface, as well as in trough sites midway between dimer rows...

The adsorption of the higher endohedral and empty fullerenes La@C82 and C84 on Ag/Si(111)-(√3×√3)R30° has been investigated using ultrahigh-vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy. At low coverage these molecules form single-layer islands with orientational order, a consequence of the commensurability between the intermolecular separation for each spe...

A brief description of the tensiograph multianalyser (formerly known as the fibre drop analyser) is given. The complex multi-measurand nature of the signal, known as the tensiotrace, is explained and a brief outline given of the methods for obtaining the most important measurands from these signals for the analysis of beer. An extensive background...

The new multi-analyser technique is briefly described and the information contained in its tensiotrace detailed. This signal can give measurements of various physical and chemical properties of the test liquid. D-functions associated with the various tensiotrace features are defined. The application of the D-functions in quality control of whiskey...